Golden lake

There is no arguing about tastes, they are enjoyed. Altai. The very north of the Republic. From the capital of the region to Lake Teletskoye is 150 km, but due to the mountain serpentine running through the forest, the travel time may be different in different seasons. We are going there in August. 3 hours after leaving Gorno-Altaisk, the forest parted and a majestic lake opens up, which in the local language sounds like Altyn-Kel (Golden Lake). The very name of the lake - Teletskoe, comes from the name of the local tribes of Teleos and Teleuts. When you go to the shore of Teletskoye and see the reflection of numerous mountains in a huge mirror of water, you involuntarily feel all the greatness of this lake and understand why UNESCO liked it, which included Teletskoye Lake in its list of World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Once on Lake Teletskoye, you definitely need to take a boat trip along its water area (fortunately, there is a huge selection of ships here: from “light motorboats” to yachts and passenger ships). In the middle of the lake, you can see its entire scale: Teletskoye is the second natural reservoir of fresh water in Russia, after Baikal, and is included in the TOP of the largest lakes in the world. Teletskoye Lake is of strategic importance for the life of Russia. It provides drinking water throughout Siberia, since it takes the source of the Biya, which later forms the Ob. According to statistics, Lake Teletskoye is one of the most visited places in the Altai Mountains, and is also one of the most popular lakes in Russia for recreation. And this is not surprising. Relic taiga, 5 magnificent waterfalls, a ski resort and a unique microclimate (because of the warm winds from the Chulyshman Valley, the temperature rarely drops below -10 °C in winter) attract vacationers with different interests all year round. And of course, a legendary place cannot be considered as such without a vivid and memorable story about some person. Teletskoye captured the history of the Russian Robinson of the 20th century - Nikolai Pavlovich Smirnov, who lived in the south of the lake at the mouth of the Chiri River for more than 60 years. Nikolai Pavlovich raised 19 children (he took birth with his wife himself) and planted an apple orchard (he brought earth from the opposite shore of the lake and laid it out in terraces along the rocky shore). He received the VDNKh medal for the miracle garden. Local archives keep his quote: "If all people work, there will be no wars."